T. whipplei in toddler gastroenteritis

There's a new report from Marseille, France out in the May EID that identifies Tropheryma whipplei (the agent associated with Whipple's disease) in children ages 2-4 years old with a diarrheal illness. T. whipplei was present in 36 of 241 (15%) of those with gastroenteritis and none of 47 controls. In one third (13/36) of the T. whipplei positive kids, another pathogen was present. Since the organism can spread via the fecal-oral route, perhaps this will be an infection control issue now that it has been associated with a common clinical entity.